If you found really cheap WestJet airfare, the tickets may be worthless

Image: Flickr, s.yume

The cliché is true: If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

WestJet is warning travelers to be careful of supposedly great airfare deals after it uncovered a scam that offered deep discounts on airfare to attendees of an upcoming conference.

The tickets were discounted by as much as half, which should have been a warning to the consumers who purchased them.

"While doing routine checks of WestJet's credit card transactions, WestJet fraud investigators discovered a scam advertising return flights for up to 50% lower than fares available through westjet.com," the airline said in a statement. "It's estimated as many as 100 conference registrants accepted the offer and paid for airfare only to discover that their ticket was invalid because it was purchased with other individuals' stolen credit cards."

The customers who purchased the discounted tickets as part of the scam are out of luck, since WestJet wasn't involved with the ticket sales.

Huge discounts on airfares can sometimes be uncovered accidentally. In December, for example, Etihad Airways mistakenly offered round trip flights from New York City to Abu Dhabi and other destinations for as low as $187. (Normally, the price range for would be $900 to $1,400.)

But those fares, like other occasional airline mistakes, were sold through known travel booking sites like Orbitz.

Travelers should always pay attention to the website they are purchasing through, especially when they find an amazing deal.

"This scheme validates the steps we take to monitor transactions in an effort to protect our guests and our company from unscrupulous people," said Alexis Gunderson, WestJet's team lead of fraud investigation. "It's important to do your homework before purchasing your flights. The lowest WestJet fares are those advertised on westjet.com, and travelers should avoid suspicious-looking deals advertised elsewhere."

In the statement about the fraud, WestJet included a recommendation that consumers only purchase flights directly through the airline, from tour operators, or other reputable providers.

The airline has previously warned about telemarketing scams, and told customers to never provide personal or credit information to people claiming to be airline representatives over the phone.